U.S. Department
of Justice
Press Release
Guatemalan Illegal Alien Sentenced for Reentry of a Removed Alien
For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of Louisiana
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – U.S. Attorney David I. Courcelle announced that LUCAS TINOCO-TIERES (“TINOCO-TIERES”), age 42, a native of Guatemala, was sentenced on April 29, 2026, for reentry of removed alien, in violation of Title 8, United States Code, Section 1326(a).
According to court documents, TINOCO-TIERES, a Guatemalan national, was found in St. Tammany Parish on or around February 18, 2025. He had previously been deported to Guatemala on February 23, 2007.
United States District Judge Lance M. Africk sentenced TINOCO-TIERES to 21 months of imprisonment and one year of supervised release. A mandatory special assessment fee of $100 was also ordered. Upon completing his sentence, the defendant will be deported to Guatemala.
U.S. Attorney Courcelle praised the work of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Spiro G. Latsis of the General Crimes Unit oversees the prosecution.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
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Contact
Shane M. Jones
Public Information Officer
United States Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of Louisiana
United States Department of Justice
Updated May 4, 2026
Topic
Operation Take Back America
Component